Spark-ignition system for explosion-engines.



No. 849,820. BATEN'IED APR. 9, 1907.

R. VARLEY. SPARK IGNITION SYSTEM FOR EXPLOSION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 6. 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Mmmm/malla PATENTED APR. 9, 1907.

APPLICATION FILED APR. G, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

l'oz- UNITED VsTAr-Es PATENT. OFFICE. l

RICHARD VAR'LEY, OF ENGLEWOOD, NEW JERSEY, AssIGNoR To' THE AUTOCOIL COMPANY, A CORPORATION OE NEW JERSEY.

SPARK-IGNITIQN lSYS'I'EM FO EXPLOSION-ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 9, 1907.

Application filed April 6, 1905.v SerialgNu. 254,072.

. following is a full, clear, and exact description.

' for explosive-engines.

This invention relates to ignition s stems It has specia reference to a system comprising a mechanicallydriven generator of electricity, such as a magneto-electric machine.

Thev object of the invention is to provide simple and easily-operated meansfor altering the point ror points'in the Cycle of the engine where the lignition shall take place, also an arrangement of circuits and circuit-com, trollers in connection with 'a condenser, an

. induction-coil, and the generator, whereby under all conditions the generator will charge the condenser during thatvpart .of its rotation up to the peak of the wave or impulse,

whereupon the condenser will be for an -instant connected with and permitted to discharge through the primary ofthe inductioncoil to induce the required high-tension current in the secondary thereof for igniting the charge in the engine.

A feature of the invention is the means whereby the various contacts are closed at the proper time with respect to each other, regardless of the adjustment ofthe sparkadvancer.

y My invention is illustrated in the vaccdmp panying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan of the magneto-electric machine fitted with my improved circuitcontrolling devices. Fig. 2 is a sectional View of the generator, ,taken `through thev fields and armature thereof. Fig. 3 is an endr elevation of the circuit controlling and adjusting devices, and Fig. 4 is a diagram of the circuits. l

The magneto-electric machine may have any of the usual constructions as to its fieldmagnet, the type shown comprisingthe usual horseshoe sectional magnets 1 and 2, placed pole to pole to produce consequent poles in the pole-pieces to which they are mechanically fastened. The pole-pieces. are supported by brass spacing-rods 4. The armature 5 is of the ordinary shuttle type having" a single coil. (Not shown.)

A feature of my invention is the rovision of two supplemental and adjusta )le.pole

pieces 7. These parts each comprise 4a body of iron of substantially the length of the armature-corel and having shoe portions 8, facing the armature-core, and neck portions 9, extending toward the main polepieces 3. These supplemental poles are mechanically separate from the main poles 3 and are sustained by two brass end disks 10 and 11, mounted loosely on the armat reshaft, bolts being passed through the isks and into the ends of the iron pieces. It will be seen that by rotating these disks upon the armature-shaft the diametrical osition of the supplemental pole-pieces will e altered. The neck portions 9 of the supplemental poles Vare much -narrower circumferentially than the faces ofthe main poles. 3, so that when the supplemental poles are adjusted across the `faces of 'the main poles the magnetiq fiux in the supplemental poles can be maintained constant through considerable range of adjustment. Since the lines of force flowing through the su plemental polepieces is the same in all of t eir positions so long as they remain in front of the main poles, it Will be seen that the point in the rotation of the armature at which the highest induction takes place will be determined by the position of the supplemental poles. This fact I take-advantage of by adjusting the poles to that position in the rotation of the armature corresponding tothe oint where the charge in the engine is to be ed. When the point at which the charge is to be fired is advanced or retarded, I correspondingly advance or retard the position of thesesupplemental poles, and Athereby have available ,at the instant of firing the highest potential of which the generator is capable. For the purpose of thus shifting the supplemental poles I attach ,to oneof the disks-say 10-a radial arm 12, by means of which by manual or other operation `the two disks, together with the interconnected pole-pieces, can be swung through a sufficient arc t accomplish the re- I.

quired adjustment.

Upon the armature-shaft is a pinion 13,

cam-disk 15, having two di ametrically-placed lugs 16 16, and in the path of these lugs is mounted a spring contact-plate 17, adapted to be forced into contact with the tip of a screw 18. mounted in a bracket 19, from which the screw is insulated, as shown, and this bracket is mounted in any suitable way to move wi th the disk 10. As shown, it is bolted to the operating-arm 12, with which arrangement it will be seen that as the supplemental poles areshifted the point at which the lugs 16 wi ll engage the plate 17 will be correspondingly shifted, and vice versa.

yone for each of the four engine-cylinders.

Shaft 22 carries a contact arm or brush 26,

that moves with the shaft and makes contact 'different plugs or igniting devices for a fourcylinder engine are indicated at 30, 32, 32 and 33.

The circuits will now be described in connection with the operation. The magneto being driven by the engine, it will be seen thatzas the core of the armature approaches the diametrical line connecting the supplementalpoles 6 and 7 a current will be induced inthe coil of the armature, which will continue to rise until the central line of the armature approximately coincides with the central line of the pole-pieces. One terminal of the armature-coil leads by wires 34 and 35 to one side of the condenser 29, while the other side of the armature-coil, as well as the other side of the condenser, .are grounded. Thus upon the rise of current in the armature-coil the condenser will be charged. At

. the instant that the current in the armaturegenerator, becomes short-circuited throughA the primary winding of the induction-coil On the armature-shaft, but insulated therefrom, there 1s also mounted a The plate 17 and screw 18 are Fixed to the disk 1Q is another disk or pinion 20, having a segl 28 over the following circuit: from one side of the condenser and generator, by wires 35 and 36, contact-screws 18, -plate 17, wire 37, primary of induction-coil, to the other side of the condenser and generator, which may be grounded. Hence when this occurs the condenser will discharge momentarily through the primary winding, which -circuit is immediately broken and a high-tension current induced in the secondary winding of the coil. At the same instant or slightly before the contact-brush 26 conl nects with one of the contacts 22 23, &c., and l the current induced in the secondary wind- I ing, which flows by Way of wire 38 to the brush, is caused to pass through an igniting i device in one of the cylinders of the engine and ignite the charge therein. Thus it will be seen thatvat the peak of the wave or ini stant of highest induction in the armature of l the generator all contacts are closed to de- ,i liver a high-potential current to the igniting l devices. This operation is repeated twice for each rotation of the crank-shaft ofithe engine and four times during each rotation of the brush 26. If now the spark or point of ignition is advanced or "retarded, b y setting the plate 17 and screw 18 forward or backward with respect to the direction of rotation, which is done by swinging the radial arm 12, it will be seen that the supplemental pole-pieces 6 and 7 will at the same time be shifted correspondingly, so that the point at which the peak of the wave in the armaturecircuit will occur will correspond to that at which the ignition is to take place. Likewise the distributing-disk 2l will be proportionately rotated, so that anigniting device in the engine will be connected with the brush when the induced impulse is created.

It is obvious that any type of mechanically-driven electrical generator having relatively' rotating members may be used in carrying out my invention by properly providing for the supplemental poles, and it is also obvious that the broad idea of charging a condenser between explosions and discharging the same through an induction-coil at the instant the charge is to be ignited can be carried out withoutthe aid of a mechanical generator of electricity.

Having describedmy invention, 'I claim- In an ignition system for explosion-engines, a generator having a field-magnet with curved pole-faces, an armature having asingle coil journaled concentrically between said faces.' field-magnet poles adjustable in proximity to said pole-faces and having supplemental pole-faces also concentric with the armature, each of said field-magnet polefaces being substantially T-shaped in section wherebythe magnetic path to the lines of force is substantially constant for all angular positions of said pole-tages, a distributingswitoh havingcontaots, geur connections botween the contacts of said distributingswitch and said field-magnet pole-mocos whereby said contacts 'and said pole-pieces are adjustabletogether, and moans for closing and interrupting the circuit of said art mature at a position of its rotation which varios angulurly with tho :uljustmont ot' the polo-pivcos.

In witness wliorooi l subscribe my signatturo inthe presence of two witnesses.

I v RICHARD VARLEY. Witnesses:

FRANK SL Oman," VALDO M. CIIAPIN. 

